McGrady: Who's smearing who?

Eddie McGrady’s rival for the South Down seat, Catriona Ruane of Sinn Féin, has said her party wasn’t behind a leaked NIO office memo which appeared in the Irish News (subs needed) and contains stinging criticism by McGrady of John Humes peace strategy.

” I utterly refute Eddie McGrady’s allegation that Sinn Féin leaked this NIO memo. This is a futile attempt by Mr McGrady to distract attention from the substance of the document.. This document is written by a senior British Official. If there is any smear involved it is by that Official. If the author of the memo has libelled Mr McGrady then he should sue him.

” Any objective analysis of Mr McCabe’s report shows that:

If it had been up to Mr McGrady there would be no Peace Process According to Mr McGrady every one was out of step except him. This included grassroots SDLP members, John Hume and the Irish and British governments.

Mr McGrady was opposed to comprehensive, inclusive negotiations.

Mr McGrady placed narrow party political interests in front of the development of what at that time an embryonic peace process

Mr McGrady opposed the development of a nationalist consensus on the way forward.

Eddie will probably be the last SDLP MP left after the general elections but the man is so nearly a unionist that it doesn’t really bode well for the SDLP. On another threat an SDLP councillor is even attacking people from a rural community who has the temerity to live in a city.

I used to be interested in he future of the SDLP but now I can’t see anything that they have to offer. They show no political lewadership. THey have jno good ideas (a quango executive – or jobs for the boys and girls, a partitionist reunified Ireland aside – only joking), they don’t do any work on the ground.

“He said he was contacted by the PSNI some time ago, along with several party colleagues, and informed that several documents stolen from the NIO contained references to them.

The South Down MP said he intended to pass documents to police to see if they emanate from the Provisional (IRA) intelligence-gathering operation which led to the collapse of the power-sharing assembly at Stormont.”

A so called leaked document, apparently 11 years old turns up in a blank envelope at the offices of the SDLP supporting Irish News. Thus allowing the Irish News to print an editorial condeming underhand tactics ‘aimed’ at the best chance of an SDLP seat. Yeah rock on Eddie. We even have Stormontgate getting a mention. Although after all the lies and half truths Stormontgate didn’t really exist did it?

Now here’s one for the conspiracy therorists to try and work out,’Stormontgate’ was only three years ago, what would an 11 year old document be doing lying around the place facilitating it’s photcopying.

“On another threat an SDLP councillor is even attacking people from a rural community who has the temerity to live in a city. “

Would you leave the SDLP councillor alone- I and many others love to see those types of comments- they really reveal the real party don’t they? So let him have his say that’s democracy isn’t it, and let the people he insults REPLY- that too is democracy, isn’t it? I would that at this stage of their downfall, the SDLP would employ better mouthpieces.

McGrady is alleged to have said that the provos were the sum of the earth, that they would string people along and that the SDLP would suffer as a result. Ruane claims that he has been proved wrong although as far as I am aware has not elaborated on what seems to me a questionable assertion at best. Her argument, to the extent that she may be said to have one, as that McGrady is wrong because if he had had his way, her colleagues would still be putting explosive devices in shopping centres. This, apparently, is an argument in favour of voting for these people. The woman clearly inhabits a moral vacuum.

People join S.F. for the power. Most Sinn Fein politicians come from deprived areas and were unemployed before being elected so the money is unimportant to them. Its the power they have in particular areas that appeal. I live in Larry O’Toole’s “little kingdom”. He swans arounds this area with a crombie coat slung over his shoulder, like some Don in Godfather 2, surrounded by heavies. Even to mention his name in public is to risk being regarded as suspect. Thats why people join Sinn Fein.

Mucher returns your comment is one of the most astute I’ve read on this site for a long time.

I am really confused as why anyone thinks people go into politics for the money. The money is CRAP! compared to most decent jobs, and as I said before, most people with even a drop of earning power stay away from it